Living with fibromyalgia

"After the birth of my daughter, in my mid-30s, the pain got worse and worse. Since 2006, I haven't had any pain-free periods at all."

"That's right. It was a long journey with many doctor's visits and little progress. In 2008, a rheumatologist told me that there was nothing wrong with me, that I was just imagining it all and that it was all in my head. Later, I was diagnosed with chronic pain and treated accordingly. It wasn't until 2018 that I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, even though my symptoms hadn't changed in 10 years."

"For me, it's pain all over my body, comparable to the severe limb pain you get with viral infections. Sometimes it affects my whole body, sometimes my arms and legs, but always my neck and back. The intensity and quality of the pain also vary."

"In addition to the pain, I also suffer from fatigue, or exhaustion syndrome, particularly often. I also experience severe concentration problems, which is also known as brain fog. Fibromyalgia can also cause symptoms of irritable bladder and irritable bowel syndrome. These are all side effects that many people are unaware of and that many sufferers do not associate with the condition."

"Yes. I worked continuously until my retirement in 2020. Initially as a midwife, and later as an office clerk after retraining. However, it was often challenging. Only the maximum daily dosage of pain medication helped me to get through the day and my work. And, of course, there were always difficulties at work because of absences. But I just wasn't that resilient and only functioned 'poorly rather than well'. I often tried to find something that was more compatible with fibromyalgia by changing jobs, but that didn't work out. In 2019, I completely collapsed."

"In 2019, I felt so bad that I no longer had any quality of life. I had been a single parent for 10 years—basically, you could say that my marriage didn't survive the pain disorder—with my daughter, who supported me a lot at the time. I was no longer able to manage my household. I could barely manage even the most basic tasks. At that point, I had no hobbies and hardly any social contacts. Going to the movies or meeting up with friends was simply not possible because I couldn't sit for an hour and a half due to the pain."

"To be honest, I have to say that contact with doctors was almost always difficult. At the beginning, this was certainly also due to the fact that fibromyalgia was hardly known. That has improved a little today. But it is still difficult to find a doctor who takes you seriously. To give you an example: when I applied for disability benefits, there was always this underlying feeling that I was just pretending and didn't really want to work anymore. When I came back from rehab with a recommendation for physical therapy, it was denied. That makes it even harder. None of the medications really helped either, whether they were antidepressants, opiates, or even classic painkillers."

In 2019, when I was feeling so bad, I came across the Gastein Healing Gallery on the internet. I found both the gallery and the therapy extremely exciting. I would have loved to try it out right away, but then COVID-19 hit. So I didn't visit the Gastein Valley for treatment until 2023.

I was very curious, but also a little apprehensive because I suffer from mild claustrophobia. I must say, I was impressed by how wonderfully organized everything is. The healing gallery runs like clockwork and the staff are very friendly. After the initial excitement, I gradually settled into a routine, felt more confident, and was able to relax much better in the mountain. The low-stimulus environment and the warmth do me a lot of good."

"Yes. Actually, already during the first course of treatment. Of course, there were some days when I was very exhausted, but the pain got better. I suddenly had a lot of energy and was able to go on long walks. The pain relief has lasted very well and today I have much more energy."

"In recent years, I have done a lot of work on gratitude and mindfulness for myself and have also sought professional help, which has been very helpful in dealing with fibromyalgia. I really want to make the topic of fibromyalgia more tangible for others, because that's what I would have wanted back then. That's why I wrote this very personal book. It's meant to help others not feel so helpless. I want to give others the opportunity to learn more, exchange ideas, and get a dose of motivation. Fibromyalgia is a topic close to my heart."